Sorry, Joe

So I recommended the Twins reassign hitting coach Joe Vavra. And in the Twins' last nine games, they're hitting .318 with 35 extra-base hits and 59 runs. They're hitting .371 on the homestand.

Maybe this means Vavra is a great hitting coach, or that he invented a new buzzphrase that sticks between the ears of his hitters.

What it probably means is that I shouldn't have written about a coach, because they are too often scapegoated. I thought the Twins' young hitters would benefit from Tom Brunansky's voice in the lockerroom.

The real-world, big-picture view is this: Hitting coaches are paid to work hard and pat a lot of backs, but they don't determine success and failure. The Twins' early-season struggles and their recent successes have much more to do with the health of Morneau and the improved approach of Trevor Plouffe than any hitting drill anyone could invent.

What's shocking is that the Twins could go on this impressive surge...and still be 10 games under .500.